volunteering at a children's hospital

[TangerineKik]

As far as clinical volunteer hours go, is it worthwhile to volunteer in a children's hospital where you would be entertaining the kids in a playroom type area? I mean it's something I know I'd love to do, but since it wouldn't be medically involved does it "count" (the kids are mostly cancer kids who are doing well enough to be out of bed but not out of the hospital). Either way I'll probably end up doing it, but it just influences what my other volunteer choices are.

Thanks for the feedback

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[ana0608]

I've been volunteering at a Children's Hospital for years now and absolutely love it. Sure, sometimes I play candyland for an entire afternoon or supervise craft time (ie-make sure nobody ingests, inhales, or bathes in paint, glue, or glitter), but I can honestly say that I've learned a lot from this experience. For one, you see how children deal with serious diseases and you see how sickness impacts the children as well as their families. You also get to observe other doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, etc. and learn about how they effectively (or not so effectively) treat pediatric patients. Also, if you volunteer regularly, you'll meet a lot of people which can lead to other opportunities. Volunteering has helped me to obtain shadowing experience, an internship, and a position as a research assistant. So if you're at all interested in the experience, I'd give it a try. Hope that helps

 

[TangerineKik]

That's awesome, thank you. Just the reassurance I needed